Posts Tagged ‘food pairings’
Fresh, fluent, pure
Another interloper before getting back to the August 12th notes because, at the time of this posting, there appear to be only six bottles of this wine left in the province.
Coteaux du Loir 2014, La Guinguette, Domaine de la Roche Bleue ($26.50, 12856261)
The vintage is shown on the label but, oddly, not on SAQ.com. A blend of Pinot d’Aunis (80%) and Gamay (20%) from organically farmed vines. Manually harvested. The whole grapes undergo semi-carbonic maceration for 10 days and are fermented with indigenous yeasts in third- to sixth-fill oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation then follows. Two-thirds of the wine is transferred to barrels and one-third to tanks for three months’ maturation. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. Total added sulphur dioxide: 50 mg/l. 12.5% ABV. 4,800 bottles made. Quebec agent: Boires.
Cherry preserves, crushed raspberries, sawed wood, leafmould, hints of black pepper and dried rose. Silky-textured and barely medium-bodied. Fruity-sweet on entry but quickly transitioning to a much drier, more peppery mid-palate with sleek acidity, some mineral depth and tannins that, while supple and light, still confer a lingering astringency on the finish. Fresh and fluent and pure, with a quaffability quotient that’s off the charts. Lightly chilled, an ideal accompaniment to herbed sausages, roasted potatoes and sautéed kale with garlic and vinegar. (Buy again? Yep, provided I can find time to schlep out to the Beaubien store again before it sells out.)
The 2015 is reportedly a success. I look forward to tasting it and will keep an eye peeled for Roche Bleue’s old-vine Pinot d’Aunis cuvée, La Belle d’Aunis. Thanks to MWG member Jack for bringing this wine to my attention.
A blessing
While waiting for some technical information on the next wines in the August 12th tasting to land in my inbox, a note on a recent arrival at the SAQ.
Terre Siciliane 2015, Lucido, Marco de Bartoli ($20.00, 12640603)
100% Catarratto Lucido from organically farmed 13-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Gently pressed. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Matured on the lees for seven months, also in stainless steel tanks. Reducing sugar: 1.3 g/l. 12% ABV. 20,000 bottles made. Quebec agent: oneopole.
Served too cold, the wine seems shy, even nondescript. But as it warms, the nose blossoms: lemon and a little peach, straw, fired quartz. The flavours echo the nose, the delicate fruit and waxy texture making way for a mineral mid-palate. Soft acidity glows as if from within. The wine’s bone-dryness is apparent only on the finish. Faint notes of dried herbs, pineapple water, white flowers, caramel and citrus pith linger long. As its name suggests, luminous and translucent, sane and coherent. That such quiet beauty can be had for $20 is a blessing. A fine accompaniment to grilled shrimp and squid with olive oil, lemon and parsley; the next bottle is earmarked for Hazan’s mussel and romano bean soup. (Buy again? Naturally.)
Maverick Malagousia
Achaia 2014, Malagousia, Domaine Tetramythos ($18.50, 12910335)
100% organically farmed Malagousia from vines grown at just under 1,000 m. Manually harvested. Destemmed. Macerated on the skins for 30 hours. Only the free-run juice is used. Fermented in temperature-controlled (18°C) stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts for 100 days. Undergoes full malolactic fermentation. Reducing sugar: 1.8 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oenopole.
Aromatic but not exaggeratedly so: floral (jasmine, lily), fruity (pineapple, peach, lemon), minerals (chalk, quartz) and a hint of green herbs. Fresh and lively in the mouth. Very dry. Most present on the attack, the fruit quickly gives way to crystalline minerals. The long citric finish has a lingering bitterness and touch of heat that I don’t recall from a bottle tasted at the winery six weeks earlier. A bit more rustic than I remember, too, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Well chilled, an aperitif wine par excellence; slightly warmer, a fine accompaniment to grilled prawns with a herby pineapple salsa. (Buy again? Done!)
More subdued, acidic and minerally than is usual for this grape, a fact the winemaker attributes above all to the vineyard’s altitude.
MWG August 12th tasting: flight 1 of 8
Three takes on Pinot Noir
Alsace 2014, Pinot Noir, Vignoble d’E, Domaine Ostertag* (ca. $32, private import, 12 bottles/case)
A preview bottle of a wine that will be available this fall. Part of Ostertag’s Vins de Fruit line, this 100% Pinot Noir is made from grapes from two-decade-old organically and biodynamically farmed vines rooted in gravelly clay near the village of Epfig. Manually harvested. Destemmed. Macerated at 26°C for around 10 days. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and daily pumpovers but without chaptalization. Matured in stainless steel tanks until the end of the spring following the harvest. 12% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Complex, savoury nose: red berries, bitter almond, fresh and dried herbs, prosciutto. Light- to medium-bodied, fluid and silky. The lean fruit is shaded by dark minerals and structured by bright acidity and supple tannins that turn a little gritty on the sustained finish. Definitely not a Burgundy but definitely a Pinot Noir, and a tasty and pure one at that. An intriguing pairing with a salad of raw rhubarb, fresh raspberries and greens. (Buy again? Yes, though not without wishing it were a few bucks cheaper.)
*I’ve not linked to Ostertag’s website as my Internet security software indicates it has been hacked and launches an Exploit Kit Redirect 5 Web attack. If your device is protected and you’re feeling adventurous, you can visit the site here.
Casablanca 2015, Pinot Noir, Refugio, Montsecano y Copains ($26.05, 12184839)
The estate is a joint venture involving three Chileans and André Ostertag. Two wines, both 100% Pinot Noir from organically and biodyanmically farmed vines, are made. This is the second wine. Manually harvested. Macerated and fermented with indigenous yeasts for 12 to 18 days. One-quarter is matured in 16-hectolitre concrete eggs for 12 to 18 months, three-quarters in stainless steel tanks. Unfiltered and unfined. A tiny amount of volcanic sulphur is added at bottling. Screwcapped. Reducing sugar: 1.4 g/l. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
An initially reductive nose soon gives way to spice, red currant and strawberry-rhubarb.In the mouth, the wine is denser and more fruit-forward than its flightmates though still fluid and supple. Bright acidity and light if rustic tannins add welcome texture. Long, earthy finish. At this stage, benefits from a hour or two’s carafing. (Buy again? Sure.)
Bourgogne 2013, Bedeau, Domaine de Chassorney/Frederic Cossard ($58.42, private import, 6 bottles/case)
100% Pinot Noir from organically farmed vines. The manually harvested whole clusters are sorted and placed in tronconic wood vats, with carbon dioxide being added along the way to prevent oxidation. Once filled, the vats are loosely covered with plastic and left for 40 day’s maceration and fermentation with occasional pumpovers and/or punchdowns (by foot). The grapes are manually shovelled into to a pneumatic press and the press and free-run juice are pumped into a large vat for malolactic fermentation, then racked into oak barrels (30% new) for 12 to 15 months’ maturation. The finished wine is racked into a vat, allowed to rest one month and bottled by gravity. Unfiltered and unfined. Sulphur is used in the vineyard but not in the winery (Cossard even cleans his barrels with ozone), except for a tiny amount of sulphur dioxide added at bottling. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Strawberry, gunflint, background green herbs and leather, then classic Burgundy notes of red berries, spice and cedar. Medium-bodied, svelte and silky. Airframe tannins and bright-but-sleek acidity structure the remarkably pure fruit, while a mineral vein runs well into the long, clean finish. A savoury red Burg with great energy. (Buy again? If feeling flush, yes.)
MWG July 15th tasting: flight 4 of 8
Fluid and energetic, juicy and tart
Quebec 2015, Pinot Noir, Les Pervenches
100% Pinot Noir from biodynamically farmed, estate-grown wines. The grapes were destemmed, crushed, macerated several days and fermented with indigenous yeasts. The wine was transferred to plastic vats for eight or nine months’ maturation, then siphoned into bottles without filtering, fining or adding sulphur. Ours was one of only 12 bottles made. The rest of the wine was used in the estate’s ultra-chuggable Zweigelt-Pinot Noir blend. 11.5% ABV.
Complex if not effusively Pinot Noirish nose: “cinq épices” (quoting another taster), lees, “raspberry vinegar,” thread of green, “dried mushroom,” cedar. Fluid and energetic, a light-bodied mouthful of ethereal raspberry and rhubarb fruit, delicate but raspy tannins, electric acidity and a mineral backbone that last well into the nicely sustained finish. Pure, refreshing and tonic. Once again, Les Prevenches proves that authentic and delicious vinifera wines can be made in Quebec. (Buy again? If only…)
Cheverny 2015, Domaine du Moulin/Hervé Villemade ($26.46, private import, 12 bottles/case)
Pinot Noir (60%) and Gamay (40%) from organically farmed vines averaging between eight and 37 years old and rooted in sandy clay with flint. Manually harvested. Macerated on the skins for 15 days. Whole-cluster fermentation is with indigenous yeasts and no chaptalization. Matured in wood vats. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Cherry and raspberry upfront, ink and slate in the background with cedar and spice overtones. In the mouth, it’s on the lighter side of medium-bodied. Juicy and tart, it flows like a stream over smooth stones. A faint astringency textures the clean finish. Another dangerously drinkable wine and a delight with Boucherie Lawrence’s headcheese terrine. (Buy again? Oh, yes.)
MWG July 15th tasting: flight 3 of 8
Loire et blanc
Cheverny 2014, La Bodice, Domaine du Moulin/Hervé Villemade ($35.34, private import, 6 bottles/case)
Sauvignon Blanc (70%) and Chardonnay (30%) from organically farmed, 34-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and no chaptalization. Matured on the lees in 550- and 228-litre barrels. Unfiltered. Minimal sulphur. Residual sugar: < 2 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Rice Krispies, pear, under-ripe lemon, hints of white cardamom, arak, powdered ginger and oxidation and, eventually, white pepper and kalonji. Medium-bodied and round, dry and satin-textured. Great balance between the sleek acidity and the dense fruit and minerals. Clean, precise and long, a pleasure to drink. (Buy again? Yes, despite wishing it were under $30.)
Touraine 2014, La Tesnière, Puzelat-Bonhomme ($33.33, private import, 6 bottles/case)
Among Thierry Puzelat’s négociant wines was a line made with a friend and former apprentice at Clos du Tue-Bœuf, Pierre Olivier Bonhomme. As Pierre Olivier has bought all of Thierry’s shares in the business, future vintages will be labelled with only Bonhomme’s name. This Touraine is made from purchased, organically farmed Menu Pineau (aka Arbois, 75%) and Chenin Blanc (25%) grown in flinty clay over hard limestone near the hamlet of La Tesnière. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in 228- and 500-litre vats. Matured 12 months in barrel. Sulphur use is kept to a minimum. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Powdered ginger again, “packing tape,” apple, pear and a whiff of something funky/cidery likened by some to “citronella” and “turpentine.” Great presence in the mouth: round, minerally and smoothly acidic from the attack through the long finish, with its lingering notes of honey, white spice and a faintly medicinal/floral aroma reminiscent of crushed marigold. A bite of smoked salmon on rye brings out the fruit, which tends to apple and lemon. Complex and engaging. If only it cost a few dollars less. (Buy again? Yes.)
MWG July 15th tasting: flight 2 of 8
Bottiglia di Custoza
Bianco di Custoza 2015, Albino Piona ($19.50, 12469383)
A blend of Garganega (30%), Tocai (aka Sauvignonasse and Sauvignon Vert, 25%), Trebbiano (25%) and Cortese (20%). The varieties are vinified separately. Destemmed, chilled, given a short maceration on the skins, then gently pressed. The must is allowed to clarify by settling, then fermented in temperature-controlled tanks. Maturation on the lees also takes place in tanks. Syncorked. Reducing sugar: 4.2 g/l. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Les vins Dupré.
Given the varieties involved, surprisingly aromatic: white grapes, lemon, yellow apple, a suggestion of peach, lots of chalk dust and a whiff of clean sweat. Smooth and elegant in the mouth. Round and fruity but dry, with soft-glow acidity. Minerals run throughout and swell on the finish, where they are joined by a saline note and a faint Szechuan peppery numbingness. Nothing complex but a pleasure to drink and the kind of white that only Italy can make. Fine as an aperitif and the best wine yet with a tricky pairing: blanched, chopped rapini sautéed in olive oil with garlic, anchovy and chile, with small scallops added for just a few seconds at the end. (Buy again? Yep.)
The heavy bottle, which weighs about twice as much as a lightweight glass bottle, is an unecological and, for case lifters, unergonomic anachronism that should be ditched. It doesn’t lend the product prestige; on the contrary, it subtracts from it.
And, yes, the post’s title is a pun.
Not for contemplating
Côtes de Provence 2015, Rosé, Domaine Houchart ($17.50, 11686503)
Grenache (35%), Syrah (25%), Cinsault (20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) from vines rooted in clay and limestone. Most of the fruit was harvested mechanically. The varieties were vinified separately. Ninety percent of the fruit was direct pressed (pneumatic press); the remainder underwent cold maceration (10°C) for 12 to 24 hours. The chilled must was allowed to settle, then fermented in temperature-controlled (18°C) stainless steel vats for 12 to 24 days. After blending, the wine was bottled and closed with a screwcap. Reducing sugar: 4.4 g/l. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Franc-Vins.
Pickled nectarine, strawberry, sun-baked quartz, a whiff of garrigue. Vibrant, glyceriny fruit dominates from entry through mid-palate, then gives way to more mineral, saline and savoury flavours. Bright acidity brings freshness. A red berry/cherry note and some sotto voce orange sound as the finish fades to a faintly bitter aftertaste. So far, so good. Unfortunately, the perceived sugar levels – the SAQ figure seems so low as to have one questioning its accuracy – make this a bit cloying after a glass or two. One of those wines that are pleasant enough to sip but that you don’t want to think too much about when drinking. (Buy again? While waiting for the 2015 Alzipratu to show up, maybe.)
The evening before, friends and I found Tempier’s 2014 Bandol rosé to be a glorious, synergistic pairing for Chez Tante Paulette’s chicken bouillabaisse. The following evening with the leftovers, this was an interactionless meh.
Green dream
IGT Terre Siciliane 2014, Vignaverde, Marco De Bartoli ($26.90, 12755152)
This is the second vintage of the wine and the first vintage sold at the SAQ (the 2013 was available through the private import channel). 100% Grillo from organically farmed 20-year-old vines grown in the Samperi vineyard. Manually harvested and gently pressed, the grapes were picked earlier than is the case for the fruit used to make the estate’s Marsalas and oak-aged Grillo (late August as opposed to early September), the idea being to produce a fresher wine. The must was chilled and clarified by settling for 48 hours, then fermented with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled 50 hl stainless steel tanks. Matured on the lees for six months, also in stainless steel tanks. Sulphur use is kept to a minimum. 11.5% ABV. Quebec agent: oneopole.
Wafting nose of honey-dipped apple, lemon peel (pith included), sour pineapple and chalk dust. Medium-bodied, smooth and fluid. The flavours are gorgeous and unassertive – this is a wine drawn in pastels – a cross between a lemon and an apple, say, with some pear notes chiming in on the finish. A mineral underlay adds savour while delicate acidity keeps everything fresh. Limestone, chamomile and the faintest hint of anise linger long. So suave and drinkable, a beaut. (Buy again? If only I could but it’s virtually gone from the island.)
As an accompaniment, the winery suggests “whole wheat pasta dishes, sea bass rolls [or] Sicilian truffle from Hyblaean Mountains,” all of which sound good to me. That said, this seemingly mild-mannered wine proved the best pairing yet for a darkly flavourful Sicilian rabbit stew whose ingredients include onion, celery, parsnip, olive oil, bay, pine nuts, golden raisins, garlic, fennel seed, vinegar, sugar and chocolate. Go figure
Un bien andalou
The idea for the second flight and, indeed, the tasting was sparked by an unsuccessful food paring at a sommeliers’ showdown at Manitoba, where the second course was a sauté of duck hearts in a sauce flavoured with maple syrup. Not having tasted the dish beforehand and thinking of its mineral and nutty notes, Steve had chosen Lustau’s Mazanilla “Papirusa” to accompany it. Unfortunately, the sauce’s inherent sweetness clashed with the wine’s dryness (for those at our table, Theo “oenopole” Diamantis’s pairing of La Stoppa’s 2013 “Trebbiolo,” whose residual sugar levels I’d previously found disconcerting, worked far better). Post-meal, Steve said he’d be curious to try the Papirusa and some of its stablemates with more appropriate, iodine-rich and salty fare. Always happy to lend a hand, I suggested the MWG’s underground lair as a venue and plans were hatched.
The iodine-rich and salty fare included three sheep milk cheeses, Serrano ham, dried sausage, olives, almonds and raw shellfish (British Columbia and New Brunswick oysters and Maine scallops) from the consistently impressive Bleu Marin, currently a wholesaler but reportedly soon to open a storefront in Montreal.
Manzanilla, Papirusa, Bodegas Lustau ($12.40/375 ml, 11767565)
100% Palomino. Matured in American oak casks in the traditional criaderas and solera system. Reducing sugar: < 1.2 g/l. 15% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Complex, lightly oxidized nose of brown sugar, nuts, raw whole grains and faint dried flowers. Dry, intense, light and long in the mouth. Alive with fresh acidity. Iodine notes appear on the mid-palate, fruit (dried apple?) and nuts (almonds?) on the finish. A briny tang runs throughout. The QPR is off the charts. Perfect with green olives, delicious with the New Brunswick oyster and good with the cheeses. (Buy again? Def.)
Manzanilla Pasada de Sanlúcar, Almacenista, Manuel Cuevas Jurado, Bodegas Lustau ($33.00/500 ml, 11767565)
100% Palomino. The solera consists of 80 butts plus the supporting criaderas, which are matured in Manuel Cuevas Jurado’s bodegas in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. 17% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Intriguing nose of “grilled peanuts” (per one taster), distant straw, dried corn, dulse and dried orange peel. Richer and more intense than the Papirusa. Lean and well-delineated. The salinity is very present here. Fresh despite the nutty oxidative notes. Ends elegantly with a long, tangy, minerally finish. Perhaps the most versatile with food. Played interestingly off the the BC oyster’s cucumber flavours. (Buy again? Yes.)
Fino del Puerto, Almacenista, José Luis Gonzáles Obregón, Bodegas Lustau ($21.80/500 ml, 12340150)
100% Palomino. Matured in American oak casks in the traditional solera system in El Puerto de Santa María. 17% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
White fruit and a hint of citrus along with white spices, chamomile, crushed oyster shells and a sour edge. Light and delicate in the mouth, dry but not drying. Brightly acidic yet softer, more glowing than the Manzanillas. Delicious minerality and a long tangy finish. The best of the bunch with the jamón. (Buy again? Yes.)
Palo Cortado de Jerez, Almacenista, Vides, Bodegas Lustau ($35.25/500 ml, 12365761)
100% Palomino. Matured in American oak casks in the traditional solera system. 19% ABV. Quebec agent: Rézin.
Darker, deeper nose: dried stone fruit, citrus peel, coffee overtones and hints of walnut and butterscotch. Rich, round and dry on the palate but also sweet-seeming. Caramel, sweet spice and nuts dominate though there’s plenty of briny salt and tang if you look for it. Some orange peel creeps in on the long, long finish. A beautiful wine. Excellent with the raw scallop dusted with Madagascar pepper, loveliest of all with the cheeses and the only one of the quartet that worked with the dried sausage. (Buy again? Oh, yes.)
MWG March 12th tasting: flight 2 of 7
Brett happens 